My other blogs

Wrong Movement (Lathos Kinisi) Dance Co.

Lathos Kinisi (Wrong Movement) Dance Co. was founded by the Greek choreographer Konstantin Mihos and dancer Titi Antonopoulou in Athens, Greece in 1988.

During the last 21 years more than 80 dancers, musicians and visual artists have participated in the productions of the company, which is being responsible for the introduction of New Dance techniques, Contact improvisation, Disability dance to the Greek dance scene.

The company not only has performed in Greece, but also abroad (Marseilles I990: Biennale for Young Artists from Mediterranean countries, Germany 1995/2000, Sweden 1998).

CollaboratorsThe company has the policy to invite well known American or European dance makers to collaboration, such asSara Rudner, (‘‘One good Turn’’, commissioned by the Kalamata International Festival 1996),Wendy Perron, (‘‘Don’t close your eyes’’ 1997),

Since 2003, the dance company sustained, on a regular basis, an international crew of dancers and has been performing outdoors, presenting pieces in places with ambivalent historical significance such as:‘‘First residence’’ 2003, in deserted houses of refugees ,

‘‘Interrogation’’ 2004 in ex-prison cells of World War II German occupation forces,‘‘Without stigma’’ 2005 in Sotiria Hospital for lung diseases.

‘‘Harta’’ 2008 in Athens War Museum.

In 2005, by launching its own dance studio a new project, "Contact Point 102", started.

This project is constituted by a program of dance classes, taught by Konstantin Mihos and other members of the company, to children of political refugee parents. Their ages are ranging between 10 – 16 years old and the lessons are offered free of charge.

The aim is to explore how dance can be taught to children, from non western European countries, respecting the balance between their own - culture and the culture of their new "arrival country".The first results of this project can be seen in the company's last production ‘‘The Battles Of Marathon’’ performed with 30 children coming from Greek origin or from countries like Turkey, Kurdistan, Iran, Palestine, Nigeria, Chechnya etc. The piece has already been presented at the ''2nd Greek Dance Platform'' at the Opera House of Athens and at ''Inside-out'' international conference on minorities and refugees and integration educational policies organized by British Council. The full length production was presented, after invitation by The Athens International Festival in July 2007.

Disability danceIn 1996 disability dance was presented in Greece through workshops , educational programs and performances. As a result of the disability teaching programs, in 1999 the first disabled dancers became members of the dance company. Most noted, Irene Kourouvani, has launched a professional career as a dancer and teacher. Many disabled dancers found their own way to the stage. Newcomer Cynthia Nikolaou emerged as the first spastic quadriplegic dancer.

Konstantin Mihos

Choreographer, dance teacher, writer, dance producer

Studies1980-85. State School of Dance, Athens, degree in dance1978-81. Stavrakos Film School, Athens, degree in film directing.

Choreographies for Ancient Greek Drama and Modern theatre productions, movies.

Since 1992 his dance company is continuously subsidized by the Greek Ministry of Culture.

Awards and honors• 2000 Greek National Award for Choreography for his production of “Empty Man” , a dance work for a seven months pregnant dancer and five men dancers including Riccardo Morrison, Joe Tornabene, Benno Voorham, Young Seung Hee.

• 1994. 1st Award in Athens Young Choreographers Competition with “At the top of the bottom of the world”.

• 1990. Biennale for Young Artists from Mediterranean countries• 1990. 1st Honour in Athens Young Choreographers Competition with “The heart is not a muscle”.

• 2001 and 2004. Most innovative productions of the year for his country, critics choice for European dance edition Ballet tanz actuel yearbooks.

TeachingA teacher of improvisation & choreography is notable for his experience to introduce improvisation and choreography in Academic environments. His eighteen years experience extends in teaching Improvisation-Choreography, Modern dance technique, Dance History:at the University of Peloponnese (2006-08)at the Univercity of Thessalonika (2008)

at the Art Hight School (Athens, (2005-2008)at the State School of Dance in Athens (1992-97),at most of the private professional Dance schools in Greece (1991-2002)and workshops in Germany, Holland, Estonia

ProducingHe has produced and organized in Athens the «8th » and «14 th European Contact improvisation teachers conferences» (1993, 2004), and many dance workshops inviting Europeans and Americans teachers to introduce New dance techniques in Greece.Last workshop he produced was in his own studio with American 60's dance legend Douglass Dunn, teaching a choreographic workshop to an assemblage of well known Greek choreographers.

In 1997 he introduced to Greece the dance ability work by producing the «1st Dance Ability Workshops » Athens 1997 with Alito Alessi & Emery Blackwell and «2nd dance workshop for disabled people» 2000 with Riccardo Morrison. Since then he sustained a continuous once a week teaching program.

WritingWriter-member of the editing committee of the Greek Dance magazine «Choros» (1989-91).Since then as a free lance writer he has contributed articles in numerous Greek dance publications such as dance magazines, newspapers, program notes for dance festivals etc.

REVIEW‘‘In the landscape of Greek dance there is not much hope at the moment. The choreographer I think that has and still does help to keep this scene alive, is Konstantin Mihos (Lathos Kinisi Dance Group). His works are sometimes uneven, or tend to have a touch of melodramatic lyricism. Nonetheless, he is political (in the best and wider sense of the word), enthusiastic, disturbing, conscious as an artist and eager to explore the relationship with the audience (which he sees as bunch of conservatives). He sometimes believes that art may re-shape attitudes, and presents a love-hate relationship with authority (his own) on stage. Best moments: «Faster Than Loneliness, Slower Than Love», «Don’t Close Your Eyes». «First Residence», «On My Birthday I Took The Train To Thessaloniki», «Terminator 7»’’.Ballet-Tanz Actuel, Jahrbuch 2004, hope & glory, p. 103, Natasha Hassiotis.